nothing / not anything
Always paired with nu on the verb. Covers both English "nothing" and "not anything".
Nu am nimic.
I don't have anything.
Nu s-a întâmplat nimic.
Nothing happened.
#73 · Pronoun
nimic
In Romanian, nimic means “nothing / not anything”. It’s the #73 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
Nimic is "nothing", rank 73, invariable, and it comes with the rule that catches every English speaker: the verb must also be negated. Nu am nimic is the correct sentence, and it reads word for word as "I do not have nothing". Romanian requires this double negative — dropping the nu is a grammar error, not a stylistic choice.
neutralit's nothing / never mind
On its own it is the standard reply to an apology or a thank-you.
Nimic!
It's nothing!
Pentru nimic.
You're welcome.
nothing (as a bare answer)
Answering a question with the single word needs no verb, so no nu appears.
— Ce faci? — Nimic.
— What are you doing? — Nothing.
not at all (nimic + adjective)
In the pattern nu e nimic + adjective it dismisses a worry: nu e nimic grav.
Nu e nimic grav.
It's nothing serious.
Forms you’ll actually hear
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
nimic100%
Show 1 more form
nimica<1%
Forms & Contrasts
- Subtype
- negative
| Standard form | nimic | Invariable — no gender, no number, no case. |
|---|---|---|
| Colloquial variant | nimica | Rare and folksy; nimica toată means "a mere trifle". |
| With a preposition | pentru nimic, din nimic | Prepositions attach freely: din nimic, "out of nothing". |
vs. nimeni
nimic is "nothing" (things); nimeni is "nobody" (people). Both take the double negative.
Nu văd nimic. / Nu văd pe nimeni.
I see nothing. / I see nobody.
vs. ceva
ceva is the positive counterpart, "something / anything", and takes no nu.
Vrei ceva? / Nu vreau nimic.
Do you want something? / I want nothing.
vs. niciun / nicio
nimic stands alone; niciun and nicio go in front of a noun and agree with it.
Nu am nimic. / Nu am nicio idee.
I have nothing. / I have no idea.
Examples
Nu văd nimic.
I can't see anything.
nimic - The double negative in its plainest form. Both nu and nimic are required — one alone is ungrammatical.
Nu e nimic.
It's nothing. / Never mind.
nimic - The standard answer to Scuze. Short, fixed, and worth learning as a whole phrase.
Nu știu nimic despre asta.
I don't know anything about that.
nimic - nimic sits after the verb, and any further phrase follows it.
Nimic nu e imposibil.
Nothing is impossible.
nimic - When nimic is the subject and comes first, the verb still carries nu. Fronting it does not remove the requirement.
Nu e nimic grav.
It's nothing serious.
nimic - An adjective after nimic stays in the masculine singular — it agrees with nothing, because nimic has no gender.
N-am nimic de spus.
I have nothing to say.
nimic - nu contracts to n- before a vowel. de plus the infinitive gives the English "to say".
The verb keeps its nu. Nu am nimic is correct; *Am nimic is not Romanian. The same rule governs nimeni ("nobody"), niciodată ("never") and nicăieri ("nowhere") — in this language two negatives reinforce each other, they do not cancel.
In expressions
Common phrases built around nimic — worth learning as whole units.
Nu-i nimic.— It's nothing. / No problem.
lit. “not-is nothing”